The Resilience of Hamas Amidst Heavy Losses
Despite suffering significant casualties, the command structure of Hamas has been severely impacted, with many of its top leaders now deceased. The organization’s rank and file has also faced a devastating blow, leaving behind a fragmented force. Numerous hideouts and stockpiles of weapons have been systematically identified and destroyed by Israeli forces.
However, the recent killing of an Israeli colonel in northern Gaza on Sunday highlights that Hamas’s military wing, though far from conventional, remains a formidable guerrilla force. This incident illustrates that the group still possesses enough fighters and munitions to entangle the Israeli military in a protracted and arduous conflict that shows no immediate signs of resolution.
Col. Ehsan Daksa, who belonged to Israel’s Arab Druze minority, met his end when a strategically placed explosive detonated close to his tank convoy. This surprise attack serves as a poignant reminder of Hamas’s resilience, as the group has managed to sustain its operations for nearly a year since Israel’s invasion of Gaza late last October. The recent death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, last week may further complicate matters, but it is unlikely to bring about an imminent collapse of the organization.
According to military analysts and testimonies from Israeli soldiers, Hamas’s remaining fighters have adapted by concealing themselves in the debris of bombed-out buildings and utilizing an extensive underground tunnel network. Much of this network remains intact, despite Israel’s vigorous efforts to dismantle it.
In small, tactical units, these fighters emerge from their hiding places to execute a variety of operations, including:
- Setting booby traps within abandoned buildings
- Deploying roadside bombs to target Israeli convoys
- Attaching mines to Israeli armored vehicles
- Firing rocket-propelled grenades at Israeli forces
Following these assaults, they quickly retreat underground to evade capture. While Hamas may not be able to confront Israel in a direct battle, its guerrilla tactics allow it to continue inflicting damage and resisting defeat, even amidst claims that over 17,000 of its fighters have lost their lives since the onset of the conflict, according to unverified Israeli sources.
